Tachysphex anthracinus Pulawski ex Krombein & Pulawski 1994

Tachysphex anthracinus Pulawski

NAME DERIVATION.—Anthracinus is derived from the Greek adjective anthrakinos, pertaining to coal, coal-black; with reference to the black body, including the foretarsal rake of the female.

DIAGNOSIS.—Tachysphex anthracinus has the setae erect on the vertex and along the hypostomal carina, nearly erect on the mesopleuron, and inclined posterad on the propodeal dorsum. Unlike other species with these characters, anthracinus has a dull, conspicuously microsculptured, practically impunctate mesopleuron, upper frons, and interocellar area. In the female, a black foretarsal rake is also distinctive, and subsidiary recognition features are: tarsomeres IV as long as wide (Figure 38), tarsomeres V with spines on venter and lateral margins (Figure 40), and vertex width about 1.5 × length. The foretarsal rake is largely black in the western Australian circulans Pulawski (in which the setae are appressed on the head and mesopleuron), and silvery, red, or brown in the other species in which the propodeal setae are inclined posterad. Subsidiary recognition features of the male anthracinus are: clypeal lip obtusely pointed, distance between lip corners smaller than distance between corner and orbit (Figure 36).

DESCRIPTION.—Frons, interocellar area, and mesopleuron dull, conspicuously microsculptured; frons and interocellar area at most with minute, inconspicuous punctures; mesopleuron with shallow, inconspicuous punctures that are about one diameter apart. Scutal punctures in most specimens well defined, averaging less than one diameter apart, but ill defined, almost contiguous, in smallest male. Propodeal dorsum irregularly rugose (irregularly longitudinally ridged near base); side ridged in females but ridges evanescent in males. Hindcoxal dorsum: inner margin weakly angulate basally. Sternum I with shallow apicomedian depression that, in some specimens, is bisected by obtuse, longitudinal carina.

Setae: on vertex erect, about one midocellar diameter long; along hypostomal carina erect, about 0.3 × basal mandibular width; on scutum appressed, uniformly oriented posterad; on propodeal dorsum inclined posterad.

Head, thorax, gaster and legs (including tarsi and foretarsal rake) black. Tegula and humeral plate yellow brown, wings yellowish. Terga I–III silvery fasciate apically.

.—Labrum broadly, shallowly emarginate. Clypeus (Figure 35): bevel as long as basomedian area or slightly longer; lip emarginate mesally in most specimens but entire in some, with two lateral incisions on each side. Vertex width 1.4–1.6 × length. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.5–1.6 × apical width. Forefemoral venter smooth or microsculptured, with minute punctures that are many diameters apart. Outer surface of foretibia with few thin, erect bristles but without spines. Forebasitarsus with 10 or 11 rake spines. Hindtarsomere IV: length equal to apical width, emargination weakly acute, almost rectangular (Figure 38); apicoventral margin shallowly concave (Figure 39). Hindtarsomere V: apicoventral margin weakly convex; lateral margins with one or two small preapical spines; venter with a few small spines distally (Figure 40). Pygidial plate shiny, sparsely punctate. Length 7.5–8.0 mm.

.—Clypeus (Figure 36): bevel ill defined; lip broadened mesally, free margin obtusely angulate, not angulate laterally; distance between lip corners about 0.8 × distance between corner and orbit. Vertex width 1.3–1.5 × length. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.3 × apical width. Bottom of forefemoral notch finely setose. Outer margin of forebasitarsus without preapical spines. Apical tarsomeres without spines on venter or lateral margins. Punctures of tergum VII less than one diameter apart, sternal punctures minute, dense, uniform. Volsella: Figure 37. Length 5.0–6.0 mm.

COLLECTING PERIOD.—22–28 January, 26 February, 10–28 March, and 10 June.

HABITAT.—This species occurs only in the Dry Zone in areas from near sea level to 100 m and an annual average rainfall of 1000–1700 mm (Figure 41).

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—Sri Lanka.

RECORDS.—Holotype: , Sri Lanka, Mannar District, Kondachchi, 22–28 Jan 1978, PBK, TW, MJ, GR (USNM).

Paratypes: SRI LANKA: AMPARAI DISTRICT: Ekgal Aru, KVK, PBS, SK (1, USNM). ANURADHAPURA DISTRICT: Wildlife Society Bungalow, Hunuwilagama in Wilpattu National Park, D. Davies and W. Rowe (1, CAS), Padaviya, PBK, SK, DWB (1, USNM). JAFFNA DISTRICT: Kilinochchi, KVK, PF, DWB, VG (1, USNM). MANNAR DISTRICT: Silavathurai, Kondachchi, PBK, TW, MJ, GR (2, CAS, USNM), [PBK] (1, NMC); Kondachchi, PBK, TW, MJ, GR (1, CAS; 1 headless , USNM); Kondachchi, Ma Villu, [PBK] (1, NMC); Marichchukkaddi, [PBK] (1, NMC). MONARAGALA DISTRICT: Angunakolapelessa, KVK, TW, LW (1, USNM). TRINCOMALEE DISTRICT: Trincomalee, China Bay Ridge Bungalow, KVK, TW, SS, LJ, TG (1, USNM).